On-field racism

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Anti-racism campaigns in football will be boosted across
Victoria next season, as new complaints of racist abuse in junior
matches in Melbourne emerged yesterday.

Following a series of reports in The Age, Football
Victoria has confirmed plans to produce new anti-racism material,
including pamphlets, to be distributed to almost 2000 junior,
amateur and women's clubs next season.

The idea for the new anti-racism material came from the Essendon
District Football League, which has been under fire over several
incidents of racism and rough play over the past few years,
including two matches last month in which boys as young as 13 were
racially abused.

Essendon District league president Ian Price said that although
official complaints of racism were rare, he supported calls to
improve education about the problem.

Mr Price approached Football Victoria this week to ask for a new
anti-racism pamphlet.

Football Victoria's community football manager Brad Ostermeyer
said the new material would complement the sport's existing
anti-racism program, which includes the Bouncing Racism Out of
Sport video, starring former Essendon champion Michael Long,
and a multicultural unit to attract migrants to the game.

"It's obviously been disappointing to see (the recent racism
complaints) so it highlights the fact that more work needs
to be done," Mr Ostermeyer said.

The action came as two new racism allegations surfaced
yesterday, involving three clubs in the Western Region Football
League.

According to the father of one 10-year-old Flemington Juniors
player, who asked not to be named, during a match against Sunshine
Heights last month one of his son's African teammates was called
"nigger" and "black f-----" by an opponent. The man said his son
was in tears over the abuse of his friend.

A week later, the man said he was escorting the field umpire off
the ground when he heard an Albion player call his Flemington
opponent "chocolate boy". He asked the umpire to do something, but
said the umpire replied: "They said he started it." The abuse
allegedly escalated in the second half.

"After that Albion game some of us parents were wondering
whether it's worth letting our kids play," the boy's father
said.

Albion president John Tzelepis said he was surprised by the
allegation, having attended the same match and not seen any signs
of trouble, but said that his club would look into the claim.

A Sunshine Heights official could not be contacted for
comment.

Flemington Juniors president Drew Valentine admitted that his
club had missed the deadlines for lodging official complaints about
the incidents, meaning they could not be formally investigated, but
was pleased the league was still taking their concerns
seriously.

The Western Region League's chief executive, Damien Phillips,
said all clubs and officials, including umpires, had been reminded
of their responsibilities to prevent racial and religious
abuse.